Process of purifying citrus juices



March 20, 1951 w. R. KETCHUM 2,545,581

PROCES S 0F PURIFYING CITRUS JUICES Filed March 14, 1947 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mcuuM VACUUM 34 -9- INVENTOR PRODUCT R Maw MM ym/ ATTORNEY March 20, 1951 w. R. KETCHUM 2,545,581

" PROCESS OF PURIFYING CITRUS JUICES Filed March 14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 K v *"2/a ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OF PURIFYINQ CITRUS JUICES William R. Ketchum, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application March 14, 1947, Serial N o. 7 34,629

This invention relates to the process of purifying citrus juices to render them more potable and has for its objects:

First, the provision of a process whereby juices are successively flowed in a thin film in a partial vacuum whereby air and gases are brought to the surface of the juice, drawing with them oils, coarse pulp and particles of skin and segment rag and then deposited without agitation and allowed to settle;

Second, a process whereby previously skimmed citrus juices are subjected to a partial vacuum flowed in a thin film to draw off foam and large particles in suspension, deposited, without agitation, allowed to settle, and then drawn to a second container and removed with agitation for use;

Third, a process whereby previously skimmed citrus juices are flowed, filmed, and quieted in a partial vacuum to separate foaming constituents, large juice cells, and skin rag from the potable juice, stored without agitation, and thereafter removed with suificient agitation to keep finer juice cells in suspension.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The process may be carried out by apparatus, a typical example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus, and

Figure 2, a sectional elevation of a portion thereof taken substantially on line 22, Figure 1; and drawn on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3, a similar sectional elevation of a portion thereof, taken substantially on line 3-3, Figure 1; and V Figure 4, an elevation of a portion thereof taken on line 4-4, Figure 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

Juice is introduced through pipe 2 into the first separating vessel 3 from a source such as a burring machine, either directly, or from a continuous decanter or deolemizer, common to the art. In the separating vessel the juice is filmed on plate 4. The juice enters vessel 3 near the edge, issuing from a horizontal slot 5 in feed tube 6, and flows over the edge I of plate 4 onto the inner walls of the vessel. It then descends on 6 Claims. (Cl. 99-155) the vessel walls into the lower part of the vessel without agitation. The top of vessel 3 is closed and sealed by an airtight cover 8. An outlet tube II] is inserted thru this cover and extends to the bottom of the vessel. A third tube ll leads to a vacuum line 15 thru a pulp remover vessel I2 and vacuum line trap [4. Vacuum thru this line is controlled by a valve IS.

A second separator vessel 20 is of similar construction. The outlet or juice removal tube Zia of this vessel leads to storage and agitation tanks 25 and 3i. The inlet tube 23 is of similar con- 2 struction as tube 6 in vessel3 and a vacuum line 26 leads thru trap 21 and valve 28 to vacuum line l5. Juice removal tube 2 la goes to the bottom of storage tank 25 and 3| thru valve 29 and two way Y valve 36. Outlet tubes 32 from both storage tanks 25 and 3! are joined by two way Y valve 33, and connect with the final outlet tube 36 which is led to such container filling apparatus as may be desired. a

Both storage tanks are connected by vacuum tubes 35 to the general vacuum line [5 thru traps 31. Vacuum is controlled on these linesby valves 48, and vacuum may be carried on tothe'filling apparatus thru the tubes 16.

The process attainable thru this apparatus includes the following:

First, citrus juice entering vessels 3 and 2D is flowed and filmed while subjected to the vacuum drawn therein; 7

Second, the juice is flowed to the bottom of this vessel without agitation and separated from the froth which collects in the top of the vessel and which carries undesirable pulp particles;

Third, this froth is drawn off thru the froth removal vessel I2; 1

Fourth, the fluid juice is flowed from beneath the froth without agitation and carries desire suspended particles withit;

Fifth, the juice is then removed to storage tanks, deposited in the bottom thereof and drawn out from the bottom thereof. This flow furnishes sufficient agitation to carry along the small desirable juice cell particles.

lhe purpose in drawing juice from the bottom of both tanks is to secure a fairly uniform mixture of fluid juice and the fine juice cells and envelopes. These particles are considered desirable since they contain fruit sugar, fiavor, and acids, but no undesirable skin and segment pulp and rag, containing acrid oils and naringin. These undesirable lighter and larger particles become suspended in the froth which forms when the juice is filmed, and are held by surface film tension or adhesion.

It has heretofore been shown that filming juice in the open air produces a desirable effect in removing rind oils, rag and skin pulp. I have found, however, that this method has its limitations, and undesired substances remain in juices, so processed, even if the filming is repeated. Further, repeated filming in the air hastens oxidation with its attendant undesirable result. Filming in vacuum, as here shown, can be repeated as many times as desired, without danger of serious oxidation.

Where raw juice (not previously decanted and skimmed) is subjected to this process an excessive quantity of froth is released and must be disposed of. This objection can be overcome by introducing juice which has been immediately decanted and skimmed, or by treating the juice, as here explained, thru a plurality of stages each having varying degrees of vacuum as the process continues, One of the. additional advantages of the process is that it lends itself to the use of apparatus by which the treatment of the juice is continuous and the processed juice may be fed to bottles or other containers without interruption once the apparatus is filled to working levels. 7

Having now explained the process, I wish to be limited only by the following claims- I claim:

1. The process of purifying potable citrus juices comprising, first; spreading and flowing the in a thin film while under reduced air pressure; second, removing froth formingon said juice film, by vacuum suction: third, continuously' removing the fluid juice flowing beneath said froth,-without agitation, so that larger suspended particles drawn up in the froth will remain thereinand not recom-ingi-e with the fluid juice; fourth, maintaining the separated juice under vacuum until fruity cell particles have settled away from the surface contacting said froth and fifth removing the juice by vacuum suction with sufi'ic-ient agitation to carry along said fruit cell particles.

2. The process of purifying potable citrus juices by removing rindoil and particles of skin and segment pulp by subjecting the juice to vacuum; andflowing; it in a film so that occluded gases form a froth on the surface thereof carrying rind oil and particles of skin and segment pulp therein by surface tension; flowing the fluid juice from beneath said' froth to effect a separation therefrom without agitation; removing the froth aggregates; and removing the fluid juice with suflicient agitation to suspend juice cell particles therein.

3. The process of purifying citrus juices by removing dissolved air, rind oil, and particles of skin and segment pulp consisting of drawing extracted juice into a closed vessel by vacuum suction; flowing the whole body of the juice in a thin film under vacuum in said vesesl to draw froth and adhering particles to the surface of said juice film; drawing the juice downward from beneath surface accumulated froth without agitation; removing accumulated froth and particles containedinand adheri-ngthereto by vacuum suction from saidvessel while flowing the juice insaidfilm; and removing said juice accumulated below said froth byvacuum with only sufficient agitation to maintain suspension of fine fruitcell particles therein, which do not co-mingle with said froth.

4. The process of refining citrus fruit juices by removing dissolved air, rind oil, particles of skin and segment pulp, and other undesirables, consisting of introducing extracted juice into a vessel on which vacuum is maintained; filming and flowing the. juice over a substantially horizontal flat plate in said vessel as it is introduced; flowing said juice from the edges of said plate downward. to lower portion of said vessel without agitation; and, while maintaining vacuum on juice in said vessel, removing froth and included particles therefrom continuously by vacuum suction; and contemporaneously drawing accumulated juice from the bottom of said vessel by vacuum suction.

5, The process of refining citrus juices consisting of, flowing freshly extracted juice in a sub, stantially horizontal. film to form a froth on the top. of said flow, thence flowing said juice down- Ward without agitation 130, form an accumulated body of; juice; removing juice. from said accumulated body of juice by suction; removing froth from above said film flow by suction; and coincidentally maintaining a partial vacuum on the whole of, said juiceflow and body of juice.

6; The processv of refining citrus juicesv con sistin of flowing freshly extracted juice in a film to form a froth, including undesirable solids therein, on the outer surface of said flow; thence flowing; said. juice without; agitation to form an accumulated body; removing: juice from the lower portion of; said accumulated body of juice; without commingling said. froth. and. undesirable. solids therewith; and coincidentally maintaining a partial vacuum on. the whole of said juice flow and body of juice.

Rt KE'ICHUM REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the fileof this. patent? UNITED STATES. PATENTS.

Number Name Date 1,527,304 Heyman Feh. 2%1925 1,980,695 Polk l Now. 1.3, 1934 1,989,399 Browne Jan. 29., 19.35 1,999,789. Schmierer- Apr. 301.1935 2,081,513 Smith May 25,. 19.37 2,337,261 McKinnis Dec. 21,1943 2,347,339 Singleton Apr. 25,. 194A 

1. THE PROCESS OF PURIFYING POTABLE CITRUS JUICES COMPRISING, FIRST, SPREADING AND FLOWING THE JUICE IN A THIN FILM WHILE UNDER REDUCED AIR PRESSURE; SECOND, REMOVING FROTH FORMING ON SAID JUICE FILM, BY VACUUM SUCTION; THIRD, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING THE FLUID JUICE FLOWING BENEATH SAID FROTH, WITHOUT AGITATION, SO THAT LARGER SUSPENDED PARTICLES DRAWN UP IN THE FROTH WILL REMAIN THEREIN AND NOT RECOMINGLE WITH THE FLUID JUICE; FOURTH MAINTAINING THE SEPARATED JUICE UNDER VACUUM UNTIL FRUITY CELL PARTICLES HAVE SETTLED AWAY FROM THE SURFACE CONTACTING SAID FROTH AND FIFTH REMOVING THE JUICE BY VACUUM SUCTION WITH SUFFICIENT AGITATION TO CARRY ALONG SAID FRUIT CELL PARTICLES. 